Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Study of ciliary motility in patients treated with
mineral waters from “Las Termas de Copahue”,
Neuquén, Argentina.
Monasterio AM (1) , Zingoni E (1) , Merino L (1) , Maraver F (2-3)
(1) Ente Provincial de Termas del Neuquén, Neuquén, Argentina.
(2) Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
(3) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Medical Hydrology, Faculty
of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
doctotamonasterio@hotmail.com
The respiratory system is a group of organs, its main function is to deliver oxygen
to the cells and release the carbon dioxide produced by the cell metabolism.
The primary parts of the respiratory system are the nasal cavities where the inspired
air is warmed, humidified and filtered from particles coming from the environment
before reaching the delicate lung tissues.
The nasal mucociliary clearance system is a nonspecific defence mechanism in
which the impurities are trapped by the mucus layer that covers the epithelium and
then the ciliary beat is moved to the nasopharynx and destroyed by the digestive
system.
The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of calcium, bicarbonate
and sulphurate waters on the cilia of individuals with respiratory pathology
who come to Las Termas de Copahue for minero-medicinal healing treatment in
comparison with a group of patients who don`t follow any thermal treatment and
they live in Copahue.
The study took place in the complex of bath therapy of Copahue during the
2010-2011 thermal season and it was authorized by the bioethics commission of the
secretary of health of Neuquén, resolution Nº 660.
A quasi experimental prospective and longitudinal design was applied to patients,
from Villa Copahue who approved the test in written form, over 18 years
with a history of high respiratory pathology, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis
and low respiratory pathology like bronchitis or pneumonia diagnosis, they
should complete six days of treatments.
A clinic test with self-control was applied as method, with two groups for experimental
and control options, one of the groups formed by patients with respiratory
pathology and minero-medicinal treatment, and the other group formed by patients
without mineral-medicinal treatment. To evaluate the time of nasal mucociliary
Balnea 64
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4
2012, núm. 6, 64-65